Traditional gun or firearm sighting systems include a sighting device on the rear and front of the gun. These two sighting devices have various visual references, which, when aligned, are then referenced with the intended target, producing a “sight picture” whose purpose is to align the barrel of the firearm, and thus the projectile, as closely with the target as possible.
The most common form of traditional sight, known also as “iron sights” includes a front sight and a rear sight. The rear sight includes a solid, opaque, rectangular block having a central notch disposed therein and mounted crosswise on the rear end of a gun. The front sight includes a front rectangular post mounted on a front end of a gun barrel. A shooter looks through the central notch of the rear sight, and attempts to make the front rectangular post of the front sight appear to fill the gap in the central notch.
Specifically, proper sighting is assumed when a flat top surface of the front rectangular post appears to be even with a flat top surface of the rear notched sight, and additionally, when two opposing flat sides of the post appear to be exactly centered in between two interior flat surfaces that comprise the left and right edge of the cut out notch or gap in the rear sight. The user attempts to achieve this by guessing when the two apparent gaps between the left and right sides of the front post are identically spaced, in apparent relation to the left and right sides of the square notch in the rear sight. This attempts to account for the left to right alignment of the barrel. The user must then also examine the flat upper surfaces of the front and rear sights for alignment as well. This accounts for the vertical alignment of the barrel. Finally, while holding these in alignment, the user must then align a general area of a top of the square front post with a general area of an intended target.
A number of less common variations of gun sights exist in the form of, for example, a bead front sight comprised of a small round bead mounted on top of a post; a V-shaped notched rear sight; and a peep sight defined by having a fully enclosed round opening on the rear sight, which is indexed to a bead on a front post.
Less common variations include front sights which are triangle or diamond shaped, or circular. Some notch and post type gun sights, particularly on pistols, have a white round dot on the front post and one white dot on the left and right sides of the rear sights also. These are supposed to be judged and aligned together in an even row, along with the target.
All these variations, however, have a common and consistent theme: all have open spaces or gaps which are the only references for proper alignment. This theme prevails throughout the geometric sights shapes of the known prior art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 882,182 issued on Mar. 17, 1908 to Thompson discloses a front sight for a firearm. The stated purpose of this device is to simply provide a brightened, higher contrast front sight picture to aid in target acquisition. Column 1, lines 9-18 state “The present invention provides a novel form of sight to be fitted to the front of small firearms . . . the sight embodying an indicator of contrasting color . . . readily discerned by reason of striking contrast between it and the body.” A variation includes an apex which in operation is turned sideways such that a broad rectangular side having indicator (3a) thereon is facing toward the shooter's eye. Hence, the sighting indicator is a traditional, flat topped sight intended for use with traditional square rear notched sights. Accordingly, this system still requires mental estimation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,171,310 issued on Feb. 8, 1916 to Bisbee discloses a front sight and states at column 1, lines 14-20 that “In order to accomplish the desired result use is made of a front sight having a sloping bright surface of the sight leading to the sighting point on the top of the sight to enable the user of the firearm to readily see the sighting point through the notch or opening in the breech sight.” Though one part of the front sight does exhibit a diamond shape with facets/points, this is intended only as a reference between the front sight and the target, not between the front and rear sights. It is intended to be used with conventional rear sights. Hence, this system still requires mental estimation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,268,537 issued on Jun. 4, 1918 to Bader teaches a front sight for firearms which is also intended as a visual variation on the front sight alone and involves circles and other curved lines to aid in target acquisition, with no mention of any apex/points or alignment of any sort with the rear sight. This system also still requires mental estimation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,755,635 issued on Apr. 22, 1930 to Dindinger teaches a gun sight and states at column 1, lines 3-4 that “The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel construction of foresight, which may be used advantageously in connection with any practical and well known form of rear sight opening . . . . ” Dindinger is mainly concerned with a less obstructed front sight picture as well as with light reflective coatings to improve visibility and contrast. This sighting system still requires mental estimation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,335 issued on Apr. 19, 1955 to Munsey teaches a gun sight mainly concerned with the use of a fiber optic, end emitting plastic tube in the front sight, for a higher contrast front sight picture. One of its proposed variations, number 32, does have a point/apex, but like Bisbee above, this also is intended as a reference between the front sight and target only, and teaches no unique alignment with the rear sight. Hence, this system still requires mental estimation.
U.S. Pat. No. D382,038 issued on Aug. 5, 1997 to Nigh teaches an ornamental design for a geometric firearm sight, as shown in the drawings which requires mental estimation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,872 issued on Oct. 20, 1998 to Waki teaches an open blade rear sight for pistol, rifle or shotgun and is concerned with providing an opening below the square or rectangular notch found in the upper surface of the traditional rear sight, for a more unobstructed view of the target as stated at column 1, lines 20-23. Hence, this system still requires mental estimation.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,616 issued on May 9, 2000 to Bubits teaches a sighting device for small arms and states on column 2, lines 2-7 that “The two converging unobstructed gaps which are produced between the sides of the trapezoidal rear notch sight cutout and the sides of the triangular outline of the front sight lead the eye—assisted by the contrast strips—toward the target and, in addition, are used for horizontal adjustment.” Thus, Bubits teaches a sighting system that clearly requires mental estimation wherein the gaps themselves are the references, and the mind must fill in and guess when they are both aligned properly with the front triangle. This concept of “gaps and guesses” is exactly the same as traditional “notch and post sights,” other than the slopes and angles.
Accordingly, this prevalent theme in all of the known prior art of requiring mental estimation due to intentional gaps and spaces between the various reference surfaces is problematic in that a subconscious mind must struggle to take what visual information is provided, fill in the gaps literally, and then estimate or essentially guess when alignment is present. Because of the relative paucity of exact visual information relayed to the mind, acquiring even moderate proficiency with known prior art gun sight systems requires years of regular and frequent practice to train and coordinate the eyes, body and mind. No matter whether the gaps are sloped surfaces, diamonds or circles, the intended gaps still require the mind to fill in the space intentionally left, and then reference this alignment also with the target. This requires a tremendous amount of subconscious mental effort and is the main impediment to easy and accurate shooting and the reason why proficiency with any sort of firearm currently requires years of practice to master. This has profound implications not only for recreational target shooters, but especially for those in law enforcement and the military, where funding and training time is limited, yet speed and accuracy can often be a matter of life and death.
For the foregoing reasons, there is need for a gun sighting system that addresses the above delineated deficiencies in the known prior art gun sighting systems. Particularly, there is a need for a gun sighting system that substantially eliminates mentally estimating or guessing as to when alignment is present. Also, there is a need for a gun sighting system that is designed to work with the actual physiology of the eye and mind, thus substantially eliminating mental estimation or guessing when alignment is present.